The third episode is out and it had some hits and misses. Largely, Coke Studio’s music is lacking the wow factor this season but there are (just) a few people that stood out in this episode. Of course, Abida Perveen is one of the stand-out performances. She released her second song for Coke Studio, which is her first solo performance this season and t was definitely one of the saving graces of the show.
‘Maula-e-Kull’ – Abida Perveen
This is the height of Abida ji’s musical prowess as she absolutely captivates the listener from the get-go. Composed by Shani Arshad with lyrics written by Sabir Zafar, this 10 minute long Coke Studio original is really riveting. The track also includes a segment of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar’s poetry. The minimalistic composition played on the sarod helps Abida ji take control over the song, and towards the end, the blend between the sarod and percussions gives the song a contemporary rock vibe. While the fusion between East and West hasn’t been done very well this season, in ‘Maula-e-Kull’, it works.
‘Tu Hi Tu’ – Shiraz Uppal and Mehwish Hayat
Shiraz Uppal has been missing from the music scene ut with ‘Tu Hi Tu’, he reminds us of what a fantastic singer he is. We see a bright future for him in making (more) film soundtracks because this song has a very film vibe to it. Unfortunately, the lyrics and composition aren’t very original or inspiring. Mehwish Hayat makes her singing debut in this song and unfortunately, she does not deliver as well as we would have liked her to; she is unable to hit high notes. We would recommend a little more vocal training to perfect those vocals.
‘Dilruba Na Raazi’ – Faakhir and Zeb BangashÂ
While this Pushto folk tune isn’t as memorable as the rest of the songs in this episode, it still does have a catchy tune. Perhaps the only thing that doesn’t work is Faakhir’s vocals. Somehow his part sounds forced. Or maybe it’s Zeb Bangash’s effortless charm that Faakhir isn’t able to match. Zeb sings like a dream, as usual, and perfects the Pashto accent as well. It’s important to be able to match the accent of the language you are speaking/singing in, and Faakhir isn’t able to do that.
‘Khakhi Banda’ – Ahmed Jehanzeb and Umair Jaswal
Much is being said about ‘Khakhi Banda’ being the best track of this episode. The composition by Shuja Haider is definitely one of the most innovative numbers however, we wish Ahmed Jehanzeb had gotten a bigger part in the song. His melodic vocals are a fun contrast to Umair Jaswal’s high-energy performance.
